ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The No. 5 seed Washburn knocked off the No. 4 seed Central Oklahoma in an exciting five-set MIAA Tournament quarterfinal match that consisted of a total 57 tie scores and 20 lead changes. Washburn will now face the top-seed and No. 10-nationally ranked Northwest Missouri in the semifinal on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
 
Washburn accomplished the five-set victory by the set scores of 20-25, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, and 17-15 to improve its record to 22-7 overall.
 
The first set was highly contested with 14 tie scores and six lead changes, the most of any set. Washburn took its first lead of the game at 10-9 and held a 17-16 advantage when Central Oklahoma (24-7) went on a 6-0 run to jump ahead, 22-17. The Ichabods got within three, 23-20, after a trio of Central Oklahoma errors, but could not get any closer as the Bronchos won the final two points.
 
The second game was similar to the first with back-and-forth scoring and neither team leading by more than two points until Washburn put together a 5-1 run to lead, 15-11. Central Oklahoma fought back and spoiled set point three times until Sophie McMullen knocked down a kill to put away the 25-22 victory to even the match.
 
After both teams jockeyed for the lead in the third, Kealy Kiviniemi broke a 17-all tie with a kill that sparked a run of four-consecutive points. Washburn sat at set point when yet again, Central Oklahoma made a late run with three-straight points. Halle Meister ended UCO's momentum with her fifth kill on six swings in the frame to give the Ichabods the 25-23 win and a 2-1 match lead.
 
In the fourth set, Jalyn Stevenson's kill gave the Ichabods a brief one-point lead at 18-17 before Central Oklahoma claimed eight of the last 10 points scored to win, 25-20, and force the fifth.
 
In the decisive set, Central Oklahoma led 7-5 when Washburn came storming back with a run of five-straight points to go up, 10-7. The Bronchos answered with a 5-1 run to retake the lead at 12-11. A UCO blocking error gave Washburn the serve back and Corinna McMullen promptly landed an ace to give the Ichabods a one-point lead. Washburn had match point twice and each time Central Oklahoma answered with a kill and eventually force extra points. Kiviniemi hammered down a kill to get Washburn to its third match point and then after a nice save by Austin Broadie, S. McMullen recorded the last point of the triumphant 17-15 win.
 
Central Oklahoma finished with a .241 attacking percentage while Washburn hit .212 for the night. The rest of the team stats are about as even as they can get as UCO landed two more kills, 71-69, and had two more assists, 65-63, and WU had one more dig, 119-118. Both teams recorded six blocks apiece as well as six aces.
 
Washburn's offense was led by Stevenson's 18 kills and she also added 23 digs. Kiviniemi hit .343 and recorded 13 kills while committing just one error. Meister landed 10 kills and finished with a .400 attacking percentage and was a part of four blocks.
 
Freshman setter C. McMullen handed out a season-high 42 assists to go with 16 digs and was responsible for half of Washburn's service aces. Sydney Pullen scooped up a career-high 30 digs and contributed six assists.
 
For the Bronchos, Sydney Huck and Jenna Karp recorded 20 kills apiece. Libero Jaedynn Evans led all players with 41 digs.